i ' 'r i ? Polk County News An Independent Weekly Published in an inde dendent part of these United States. POLK COUNTY? The Gateway of Western North Carolina Five Cents Per Copy City Advertising Tax Or COMMERCE K LING ORGANIZATION if MM SECRETARY KEEHLY FELT BY 0 M >;c chM WAIT POSSIBILITY OF liTf OEVtLOPtO TO THE LIMIT estate devetopments of major ini , < and other business activities indi* ? lu- present year. Prosperity is in tho N t of Commerce, with a paid secre te ,W11 tJie scenic and climatic advan :k. Publid . : y ;I* TryulX - oi :;s natural - . riaiy uoulil r. campaifiV :i ii"wui5e of >uch u or*. :::ia:ued oin ! i a r. town - siciM : S Peking :: .11 charge i.\ ; i'Ol-NT Criminal Motive Back of Forest Fires in Pisgah County, Slate and Federal officers Hot on Trail of Incendiaries who Will Get Full Penalty of Law. j a,.u!U beja State, Federal ana county author 1 H't> 111 Western North Carolina are) i'Mtersbi^rg workln* together hopefully in the ??n in Florida. -ffurt to clear up what appears to I ith- y wanted havt. been a widespread plot to '?n alligators. ?'"u*e destructive forest fires on,' in>h?-s be PisRah National Forest and in sever-' chunk*, .il other areas Especially have de ^n nahie v* native fires in Henderson and proceeded Hnnconu* boine earmarks to indicate, bad to of- that they were caused by the same j "nous, n Is malicious incendiaries whose acts' tuiit of $160- have caused such great losses in ~ Clt>" TAX? vveral spectacular fires. Never the history of the State ' ciimbed ,!i,s then- been anything comparable ! ? Cold field ' he fires which were set out on ,l"1 a possible ''i^Kah> The malefactors bided their "a the map t.me well^ chose days when the con I " ditions were most favorable to dis. "it of its ;istro1^ conflagrations^ and then 1 in [ remain acted ruthlessly. In some instances without retjrod- f:ros were started simultaneously in ahead or man-v different quarters, and as a n js keten ! result. the fire fighting organization r towns in; the j was Practically powerless. Thous c what Tryon i an(^s acres of forest have been of Commerce ' burned over with great loss. UP thtir tciwns. Heretofore the forest fire problem ~ *" x'n' ttor of Sales for 'n the State has been one almost ?i'-'Wii* nt Company^ 1 entirely of negligence. Either peo ca*,!t=K !'-? heed of a live P,e in the woods were careless about ??vtated that he leaving fire, or landowners were a ales force and negligent in letting fires started by ,IlaJ,";r "t Commerce a i themselves spread to the lands of ;r * ime whenever it i other*. This condition is dangerons to put on a > enough in all conscience, but posi c:v..- here. Eighteen ti ve malice is something new. should work! In the case of incendiary fires on ^ '*ae to raising such a scale> a gang of a desperate .'iuews for a character goes without saying. The ?;.v campaign^ i motive is a puzzling question, as it celling ability too? negative,, mere malicious mis_ a such a drive i chief. Somewhere in this orgy of a ' before beginning ! vague revenue-, there must be a dis ?r- vaoiil(i be a re_ I tinct criminal activity. present Cham- j It has been variously suggested 'al the adoption ! that the fires were started by poach for the ex- ' ers taking revenge for prosecutions "ail firjjt and i for violating the laws protective of employment I the Pisgah Forest deer; that they 1 ? '.t secretary for were started by individuals angered | py the loss of roaming dogs which <-h says^ Hit can I are sometimes shot on the forest; j that they are connected more or less ft 'indirectly with various other crimi ''titscives! on ac- | nal activities carried on in remote i'i">w a tice of our ; localities. The ever-present liquor ;virh new white : question get 8 consideration, it has ; t red it to any j been suggested that the fires may be ? " ouif people attributed to distillers. I' I'-'ipers off the, o. Mrs. G. H. Holmes spent a portion of this week in A".heville .visiting friends. 10 p aT* |Hidge ?livt e It Ei-.; hon diicu organii^r call iK : iy of Emea ?rship k - 3 1 1 ^ Lf j; to fur. i p.ii ibint, f, , local ; ?l fail dri\.. >tion (;? ?Oiii i ; ite , Ot sh?, fill- ; fit* j i.: th. . . Ur:(i . t<- k. Id ti:. , Trr , m 1 ? 1 1 lit of our love ' i 1 be indeed a Tryon, N. C., April 30, 1925 GOLDEN DAYS By A. a CHAPIN CHICAGO OPERA STAR TO SING TWO NIGHTS ! AT MUSICAL EVENT To Entertain Spartanburg Aud ience At Musical Festival Spartanburg, S. C. April 30, 1925f j ? Frances Papertef Mezzo^ of the ! Chicago Opera Company will sing at I ,^he Spartanburg Music Festival on Thurcday evening Way 7th and on Friday afternoon, May 8th. Miss Paperie is a young American who has beauty charm and a lovely J voice and musicianship. It is there fore little wonder that in a compar atively short time she has made j great strides in her profession. She made her debut with the Chicago o Frances | Opera Company in a performance | with Ualii-Curoi and Tito Schipa, and in one season appeared in seventeen different roles with success. She sang in New York with the opera cofnpany ahd was also chosen as one of the soloists for the Stadium con certs. Miss Paperte sings in "Mar tha" and als0 is soloist on Child ren's afternoon. New York Evening Mail; Frances Paperte combines^ with a charm ing personality, a beautiful voice J and rare dramatic intelligence. Her high notes are pure^ clear and vibrant. Her low notes rich and resonant, indeed of quite re markable timbre. Cincinnatti Press: Mis.? Paperte displayed both lyrical arid dramatic gifts. A pleasing voice and gracious ness of manner. Her voice was lovely to hear. I Chicago American: Lovely .voice and real talent. Dallas Times-Herald: Frances Pa perte was superb# San Antonio Express: Sang in glor- I ious voice. Toledo Times: Showed an artistry which ranks her with the really great recitalists. Denver Post: Prances Paperte de lighted the audience. New York World: A rich voice im bued with a distinctly sympathetic quality. - The dates of the Festival are May ' 7, and 8. FAMOUS CARTOONISTS AND WRITERS CONTRI BUTE TO THE NEWS In order to publish mj.ny attrac tive features not obtainable including news pho ographa of current interest the NEWS has installed a easting box and a complete news and adver tising service. Tfiis service includes news photo graph Arthur Brisbanes column, comic strips, cross word puzzles and an advertising cu* 'OTiyice covering every line of business. The installation of a casting box also enables the NEWS to handle more foreign and local advertising as we can use mats withoir delay^ where prior to the installation of this equipment we were forced ;o send them away and have casta made and mounted. ! We aim to give Polk County a real | newspaper and no measure will be overlooked which will in our opinion ' increase the value of he periodical t0 the community as a whole and toj ? mi r advertisiers and subscribers. Advertisers local and foreign are revues ed to get their copy into the ; NEWS office before Wednesday of each week in order oo have it at_ tractlvely displayed. Last minute copy ges last minnte position and l mars appearance and value of the 1 advertising. , Phone 99 or mall your copy the ? earlier par" of the week and you will ? M"* get pleasing results. In order . to i reach our readers in the outlying districts we must be in the mail Thursday af ernoon and the last I run goes to press at 10 A. M. Thurs day making it impossible for us to i handle any advertising or news on that date. A CENTURY AND A HALF AGO LEXINGTON MLN REPULSED BRITISH IN FIRST AFFRAY ) At four o'clock in the morning on j | the lltth of April 177 a century and I j ;i half ago, Lieut. Col. Smith of his I Majesty's Tenth Regiment^ com i .nandinir a detachment of several j hundred redcoats reached the vil i ' i lage of Lexington, on his way to I Concord. According to the report I j of General Gage, Commander inchief j i of the British forces in America the' 9 I little army found there a body of j j country people drawn up under arms ! j on a green close to the road; and! upon the King's troop.* marching up : to them, in order to inquire the rea son of their being so assembled^ (hey went off in great confusion, and several guns were fired upon the King's troops from behind a stone wall and also from the meeting house and other houses, by which I one man was wounded and Major I'itcairne's horse shot in two places. In consequence of this attack by the rebels, the troops returned the fire and killed several of them after which the detachment marched on t0 Concord without any further hap_ polling. After Lexington there could be no turning back by either side. The 'ii<- had been cast) and the long l niggle, which so disheartened Gen ? rar Washington^ had begun. An other year was to elapse before for mal independence was proclaimed. Hut resentment against the Govern, ment of England was too great to be peaceably quelled. The ill-timed desire of the British General to "show his authontj" crystallized the determination to resist King George's Government and troops. The news flashed across the fron tier into the remote settlements cry stallizing the feeling against King George and his red-coated minions and everywhere the colonists ex pressed their deterinintion to resist further tyranny. The Mecklenburg declaration, Patrick Henry's Virgin ia address, the arming of the border settlements and the eventual over throw of British dominion resulted indirectly from this shot "heard round the world/' I Oh Lexington Ground as 150 Years Ago With Gen. Pershing and Vice-President Dawes looking on, modern Massachusetts minute- men . re-enacted the battle of Lexington and Concord in the 150th anniversary of the historic battle. Adov? is ? view of the Concord bridge today, showing the modern minute Mi opening Am on the British m the Colonial* did April 18? 1875. facile -octe x>bsb ;f a man had only , ONE PAIR OF SOCKS, WHY WOULD THEY HAVE TO E2 PURPLE? DESPOILING FOREST FLOWERS MARS SCENERY 'OF THE MOUNTAINS O Flowers Make Mountain s Doubly Attractive To Visitors In Other Sections The moun ain sides are white with dogwood and other varieties of wild flowers are blooming in profwsion ^hromo Ink^ the Chimney Rock pub licity organ says in. a recent is me. All of Wes ern North Carolina is approaching the season of the mountain blooms. / J First come the dogwood} a little ,1a er the beautiful azalea, followed by the laurel and rhododendron. A myriad of other mountain blooms make their appearance dur ing the springy summer and fall. The following essay on rhododen_ dron and laurel of the section has been written by Margaret Sharp. Western North Carolina has many names ? n<.mes that are appropriate^ and names which suit her not at all. but the names which more clearly expreiiees and speaka^.*^. bc^ty Is "The Land of ^thodoacndren." There is not a more beautiful flower in the world than these del icate clusters of white, pink, carmine or lilac colored bloom. Their blooming season is in June and July, although some blossoms earlier; they flourish in a moist? well drained soilf and the plant is some times a tree from 40 to 60 feet in height but more often it is a shrub of about 20 feet. The twisted limbs and thick dark, evergreen leaves tapostry the damp walls of ravines and hillsides in an exquisite pattern even when the blooms are gone. Growing side by side with the rhododendron and closely rivaling it in its beauty is the mountain laurel. It is especially abundant in the mountains of Carolina and Tennes - see. It does not reach the great height of the rhododendron-the site varies from two to 20 feet. During June and July it bears white or rose flowers of such marvelous note of color and bloom is never seen else_ where. The leaves are rather large and lance shaped^ shining and leath. ery. When tbe laurel is blooming the ground beneath is a carpet of white and rose and the plants them selves form an arched corridor above. 4 S range is it not that man cannot enjoy a thing without the accom panying, overpowering desire to pos_ sess it? Fruits on a tree money, or the flowers by the wayside, it is the same wi h them all. They must be his ; and when, they are he no longer wants them. But it is a pity to destroy some thing which cannot be restored; worse than ;hat it is a crime. A fruit may be plucked, next year there will be another; money may be spent, more may be earned; but when flowers are broken from trees or pulled up by the roots they will no. grow again. Many flowers that once grew here in abundance are practically extinct, and if we thought lessly pull the flowers and break the limbs of the rhododendrent there will soon be no rhododendron, and so we would rob this sec ion of the state of one of its most pictursque j assets. Many of the coun ry estates around Tryon have been posted and admittance refused bca se thought less visitors insisted in destroying he shrubbery and flowers. Mr. R. C. Remick recently posted notices on all of his Rocky Spur and Hog Back property warning visitors against destroying the natural beauty of the scenery by gathering and destroying wild flowers. 0 Miss .Amelia Watson has &g her guests Mr. andd Mrs. B, S. Burgess form Yonkers N. Y. ? 1 $1.50 a Year Piedmont Council Boy Scouts Offered Permanent Camp at Tryon By Officials of Lake Lanier Co. 0_ Rutherford, Clevelend, Lincoln and Gaston Counties In Piedmont Council With To tal Membership Of over One Thousand A tentative offer of several acres of ground in the fast developing Lake Lanier tract^ made by Mr. Wright representing the real estate department of the work receiv ed with much satisfaction by the of ficials of tlie Piedmont Council Boy Scouts of America, at Gastonia. Piedmont Counci^ comprising the counties of * Rutherfordt Cleveland, Lincoln and Gaston, was organized January 1( 1924. At that time there were but 60 registered scouts in the in ihe four counties. Scout Execu tive R. M. Schiele, of Augusta> Ga. wa:) employed and under his direc tion the council had grown in one year, at the beginning of 1925 to 700 full registered scouts and 300 ac_ credited scoutmasters, assistants and member of the official staff Courts of honor are regularly held at different points in the council territory and hundreds of these scouts have regularly been examined and passed to the succeeding grades of scout promotion^ several of them thus becoming Ea^gle Scouts, the highest rank in the organization. All of the tests and examintions must be successfully passed solely upon merit. I From the time a boy enters scout ing by pledging himself to the scout oathf "On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my ;ountry to obey the scout laws, help )ther people at all times^ and keep nyself physically strong^ mentally awake and morally straight^" until retired by the age limit from active service, he is continually upon his individual honor in all the duties of life. He learns from nature what every boy should know concerning woodcraft art science, bird and an ? ? ' > :mal life, self protection^ self pre servation vand dvity to his feljowmam. Not another orgaxrfzatcc. in the world so touches the boy life be tween the ages of 13 and 18. in such a conservative manner as does the Boy Scouts of America. Every boy in the wjrld, privileged and unpriv ileged^ deserves a chance and that is exactly what scouting offers every boy. It appeals to his latent man hood) it provides the means and me thod to tide him over the sissy per iod, moulding the future man, in the process of making^ by putting within his grasp the lessons of nature that appeal to boyhood of the 'teen age. No coercive or disciplinary me. (hod.) are used rather all that is good and true and noble in his na ture is brought to the forefront, his natural craving and ambition given full range^ and he is permitted to develop himself. And he does. Lake Lanier offers an unsurpassed site for a permanent summer o?mp for 1000 manly boy3 and their offi cers, and Tryon will extend a warm and hearty welcome to the -sons of her near neighbors. The site her* offers wonderful opportunities and privilege,- for such a camp and it is to be hoped the offer will be accept ed and that Piedmont Council will Immediately begin operations in the building of camp bungalows and other necessary improvements The officials of Piedmont Council are; Fred L. Smyre, President, R. M. Schiele, Scout Executive^ Rev. Geo. R. Gillespie^ Scout Commissioner and H. Prince Lineburgerf Treasurer. Mr. Smyre, cotton mill ownef, Mr. Gillespie^ Presbyterian minister and H*' Lineburger, real estate dealer^ are all of Gastonia. I -o I TO HONOR GRANT'S j BIRTH, APRIL 27 E ytt of (be nation will be turned to the little village of Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27th, the birthplace of U. S. transformer President and War hero * 'V " / /